NOVEL NEXT Chapter 584-591
Chapter 584: Unexpectedly, Deeply in Love with Him (44)
The more Ji Yi thought about it, the more fired up she got, and the more she felt like those words didn’t come from her dreams.
About half a minute later, Ji Yi’s eyes opened wide.
Yeah… Those words weren’t from my dreams. Those words were what he said to me over the phone, the day after my scandal broke out.
But at the time, Ji Yi was sleepy and groggy, so she thought it was all a dream.
So as it turns out, He Jichen hinted at his intentions a long time ago. I just didn’t pay attention… I misunderstood him!
At that thought, Ji Yi suddenly turned around and rushed to the sidewalk.
She raised her hand, hailed a taxi, and got in.
Without waiting for the driver to ask where she was headed, she beat him to it. “Sir, take me to the airport.”
After her voice dropped, she quickly pulled her phone out from her pocket and started to check flight times.
It took an hour to fly to C city. As Ji Yi booked her ticket, she rushed the driver to drive faster.
Two minutes after she paid, Ji Yi’s phone rang. She glanced down at her phone to see that it was a notification telling her that her ticket was successfully booked.
She locked her phone screen and turned to look out at the night speeding by. Her heart started to race for no reason and with each beat, it jumped to life and pulsed with energy.
Soon enough, Ji Yi reached the airport where she paid the fare and bolted out without picking up her change from the driver. She rushed over to the departure floor and checked in.
It was almost time to board, so Ji Yi headed straight towards security. She managed to reach the boarding gate a minute before it closed and successfully made it onto the plane.
She took her seat, fastened the seatbelt, and switched her phone off.
After the plane ascended three million feet in the air, Ji Yi still thought this was all a dream, so she discreetly pinched her thigh. Then she pinched her own arm, still thinking this was all so surreal. She turned her head and reached her arm towards the middle-aged woman sitting next to her. “Ayi,1 could you please pinch me?”
The middle-aged woman glanced at Ji Yi like she was crazy then turned away to the other side, putting some distance between her and Ji Yi.
All Ji Yi could do was proceed to forcefully pinch her own face.
Her lips curved into a smile as she realized that everything that happened tonight was real when she felt the sharp pain from her pinch.
She removed her hands from her face and noticed the Ayi had already shifted to the empty seat next to her.
C city was close to Beijing. The plane landed safely at C city’s airport after half an hour.
Ji Yi got off the plane and darted towards a taxi in the taxi area. She waited two minutes in line and got into a taxi.
On the way to the Television Awards, Ji Yi pulled out her phone and opened the live stream.
The awards were already reaching the final segment. The hosts were giving out the annual achievement award.
Midway through the journey, the awards show finished, so celebrities were shown on the screen as they made their way out of the venue.
Ji Yi was afraid He Jichen would’ve already left by the time she made it over. Just as she was going to call He Jichen, she saw He Jichen and Chen Bai on the live stream.
As soon as the two of them stepped out from the awards show, they were stopped by a group of interviewers.
“Excuse me Mr. He Jichen, may we please trouble you for a couple minutes of your time for an interview?”
- [Honorific for an older non-blood related woman]
Chapter 585: Unexpectedly, Deeply in Love with Him (45)
Faced with a crowd of reporters, Chen Bai used his quick reflexes and rushed in front of He Jichen.
“Sorry! We’re not accepting interviews. Everyone, please move aside,” apologized Chen Bai as he used his arm to block the reporter and make way for He Jichen. To avoid getting overcrowded by reporters, he made a path for him as he walked forward.
The reporter didn’t let He Jichen go easily as they raised their cameras and microphones, following closely behind Chen Bai and He Jichen. They continued to pester them.
“Mr. He Jichen, may I ask, did you know about tonight’s events beforehand?”
“Mr. He Jichen, does YC have anything to do with exposing Miss Qian Ge’s schemes to sabotage Miss Ji Yi tonight?”
“Mr. He Jichen…”
Faced with the reporter’s questions, Chen Bai patiently answered, “YC Corp will answer these questions on Weibo at a later date. Could everyone please make way…”
The security beside them checked the situation and quickly rushed over to help them with the reporters.
The reporters’ questions didn’t stop there. “Mr. He Jichen, we all know you directed Qian Ge’s ‘Three Thousand Lunatics’ and your partnership with her was uneventful. Now, she and your signed artist got into such an incident, so may I ask: would you still consider working with Qian Ge in the future?”
Having already put about two meters between himself and the reporters, He Jichen suddenly paused when he heard this question.
Chen Bai, noticing that He Jichen stopped, did the same.
He Jichen had his back to the crowd of reporters for two seconds before he turned around and looked at them behind the security guards holding them back.
He stood his ground. With a calm look on his face, he spoke with an unusually stern and decisive voice: “No, YC won’t be working with someone so despicable and wretched!”
He Jichen paused for a moment then added, “And I believe that anyone with a conscience and moral compass would not work with such an artist!”
Which went to say that whoever worked with Qian Ge had no conscience or moral compass.
Ji Yi always knew how harsh He Jichen could sound, but she had to admit that this time, He Jichen’s harsh words made her feel pretty great!
He Jichen’s reply gave the reporters hope he would consent to a full interview as another two to three questions were tossed out.
He Jichen turned around flatly and walked down the steps like he hadn’t heard their questions.
Chen Bai hurriedly tried to clean up the aftermath by saying, “Apologies, Mr. He has important business to attend to, so he has to leave first. As for other questions, YC will give everyone an explanation in due time.”
As for news about He Jichen’s personal life, the media had never been able to get any information from him.
It was late at night, yet He Jichen had something important to do…?
A curious reporter blurted out, “Mr. He Jichen, the ‘important business’ you have can’t possibly be meeting someone this evening, right?”
After taking two steps down, He Jichen stopped again. This time, only his head turned around and he said in a relaxed voice, “I’m going to a friend’s birthday party.”
As his voice dropped, He Jichen didn’t wait for the reporters to react and took big strides away.
The picture on Ji Yi’s phone screen cut to a celebrity participating to an interview on the scene.
Chapter 586: Unexpectedly, Deeply in Love with Him (46)
The picture on her phone screen cut to a celebrity participating in an interview on the scene.
But He Jichen’s words “I’m going to celebrate a friend’s birthday” continued to echo in her ears.
Today’s my birthday… Is he rushing back to Beijing after the Television Awards?
With that thought, Ji Yi’s blood started to pump again.
Then the taxi stopped.
Because there were so many people at the Television Awards, the surrounding roads were blocked off. Cars without permits couldn’t enter, so the taxi had to stop at the blocked road.
He Jichen hadn’t left after his interview ended, so he was probably heading to the parking lot.
Ji Yi gave up on calling He Jichen. She paid the taxi fare and ran over to the venue like she was running a marathon.
–
The parking lot was open-air and there were no lights. They could only vaguely see their path with the streetlights all around them, but as they got deeper into the lot, it got darker.
He Jichen and Chen Bai left rather late, so most of the cars already left the car park a long time ago.
He Jichen’s car was parked in the center of the parking lot; all the cars parked around it were gone.
Because the lot was a little dim, He Jichen and Chen Bai didn’t notice there was someone standing by the car when they walked over.
They walked right up to the car then Chen Bai pulled out the keys and pressed the button to unlock it. The car lights illuminated the space all around them and they finally noticed the person crouched by the passenger car door.
He Jichen and Chen Bai paused at the same time.
The car lights turned on, shocking the person crouched on the ground. She slowly looked up and saw He Jichen and Chen Bai.
Not far away, another car happened to start up. The flash of light let He Jichen and Chen Bai see the face of the person crouched down.
Standing next to He Jichen, Chen Bai clearly felt the atmosphere around him turn cold. His instinct was to turn his head and glance at He Jichen whose handsome cold eyes were like frozen ice in the depths of winter.
Qian Ge lifted her head and stared at He Jichen’s half-shrouded face in the shadows for a while. Then she slowly got up and walked over to He Jichen.
It was only when she drew closer that Chen Bai saw how rough she looked.
Her long, elegant silk dress had a long tear in it and the beautiful hairdo she had earlier had long lost its shape. She had messy, nest-like hair and it looked like she was crying because her intricately applied make-up was ruined.
If Chen Bai hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, it would’ve been really hard for him to imagine that the woman before him was the same elegant Qian Ge who remained composed under any circumstances.
Qian Ge was about a meter away from He Jichen when he stopped. She knew he wouldn’t speak up first, so she cried, “You set this all up, didn’t you?”
She knew that was talking nonsense, but she still asked.
He looked at her coldly without any intention of speaking.
She had slipped under her manager’s watch, ran to the parking lot, and crouched next to his car for almost an hour to ask not this question, but another one.
Seeing that He Jichen didn’t respond, Qian Ge spoke again, “Li Yaoyao betrayed me because of you, right?”
Yes, that was the main point of waiting for him. She wanted to know why Li Yaoyao, who had always been so close to her, would betray her…
Chapter 587: Unexpectedly, Deeply in Love with Him (47)
He Jichen still didn’t say anything.
Qian Ge didn’t wait and swiftly asked a new question, “What in the hell did you say to her for her to betray me?”
He Jichen continued to ignore Qian Ge. This time, he didn’t stand still, but he raised his foot and walked towards the car.
Seeing as He Jichen was walking, Chen Bai immediately followed suit.
Just as He Jichen was about to brush past Qian Ge, she spoke again. “I came to see you for no other reason. I want to know the answer already!”
“I can’t figure it out! I treated Li Yaoyao so well. I practically bought her gifts every month, and I gave her so much money. I just can’t figure out why she would betray me! I just want to know why she would do this?!”
“So, He Jichen… can’t you tell me why?”
“Tell you why?” He Jichen looked like he just heard a joke as he suddenly chuckled. His feet hadn’t come to a stop as he sounded completely insulted. “I’m so confused… Where’d you get the impression that I would ever tell you?”
Qian Ge’s body trembled in response to He Jichen’s rudeness and her hands balled into fists. She stood there for a moment, turned around, stared at He Jichen’s back and cried, “Because I don’t want to die not knowing. I came to see you so I can die knowing the truth!”
“Heh…” a cold laugh escaped He Jichen’s mouth. He stopped in his tracks and shot Qian Ge a look of disdain. “You want to die knowing, do you? I’m not interested in letting you die knowing the truth!”
After he said this, He Jichen withdrew his gaze and raised his feet, ready to take a step towards the car. All of a sudden, he remembered something and paused. With his back turned to Qian Ge, he spoke without looking at her: “Don’t you think that deep down, you know why?”
“You treated Li Yaoyao so well, so why did she betray you back then? Let me ask you – did Ji Yi ever treat you badly? No? Why did you betray her then?!”
“Actually, I had other ways of ruining you, but do you know why I chose this way?”
“Because I told you before – for every ordeal you made Ji Yi suffer, I would give you a taste of that medicine! Didn’t you trust Li Yaoyao?” As He Jichen said this, an intense aura emanated from his body. “So I was going to give you a taste of being betrayed by someone you trusted!”
“It doesn’t feel good, does it?”
“But don’t you worry. Today’s not the end of it. You thought your reputation being ruined in showbiz would be the end of it? Let me tell you, that’s impossible!”
“One of these days, I’ll make you regret ever betraying Ji Yi, ever messing with Ji Yi!”
After he said this, He Jichen shot Chen Bai a look.
Chen Bai immediately understood He Jichen’s meaning and took two steps forward to pull the car door open.
“Oh yeah…” He Jichen was just about to get into the car when he stopped again. “I didn’t actually want to waste my breath on you, but you came to me, so if I didn’t say a few words or slap you hard on the face, you would’ve wasted all that time waiting here in the cold, right?”
Qian Ge’s face instantly turned pale white. Tears began to well up in her eyes again.
She thought he finished speaking, so she never imagined he would continue, “Also, do you know why I chose to expose you today? Because today’s her birthday…”
Chapter 588: Unexpectedly, Deeply in Love with Him (48)
“He Jichen——” Before He Jichen could finish speaking, a voice was heard from not too far away.
He Jichen’s body shook then his body froze on the spot like his pressure points had been hit.
He was far too familiar with that voice. He was so familiar with it that it felt like he was passing through time, going back to his adolescence.
She appeared on the race track practically every evening when they were close in senior high and she screamed at him on the football field, drenched in sweat. “He Jichen, time to go home.”
He was proud of not going home till late during his rebellious phase, but back then, going home was the best part of his day.
That cry of “He Jichen” just now sounded the same as when Ji Yi used to cry “He Jichen” back on the football field. It was as soft and crisp as a spirited ballad.
After He Jichen’s voice disappeared, there was complete silence all around him.
In the dark of the night, there was the faint sound of someone running.
He Jichen thought it was an illusion as he stared at the open car door for some time. Then he slowly turned his head towards the source of the sound.
Far, far away, he saw a silhouette of someone rushing towards him. The person seemed determined.
Because the parking lot was dim, He Jichen couldn’t see the person’s face, but from her frame, he could tell who it was right away.
He was stunned at first then his heart skipped a beat. He stared at the woman drawing closer and closer as he his heart suddenly felt a rising sense of surrealness.
As the woman’s face became clearer, she slowed down, her run turning into a walk.
With the lights of his car, He Jichen could tell she was wearing a long white dress with a pair of white shoes and a thin, torn jacket over her dress.
Maybe she ran too quickly just now as her hair was stuck to her forehead with sweat, her face was flushed, and her hair was a mess from the evening wind.
She looked into his eyes with an unusual brightness like she had gathered the brightness from all the stars in the universe. They were enigmatic and captivating.
He Jichen stared at her, a little dazed. He felt like he bumped into a deadly fairy who appeared deep in the night like in fairytales.
After she was about five meters from him, she spoke again. It looked like she’d been running for too long because her breath was a little unsteady. “He Jichen!”
He Jichen didn’t react but he glared right at Ji Yi motionlessly like he was a stone statue.
Ji Yi’s voice snapped Chen Bai to his senses and he was the first to cry in shock: “Miss Ji?” He turned to He Jichen beside him and he said with an excited voice, “Mr. He, it’s Miss Ji!”
He Jichen pretended not to hear. He only stared straight at Ji Yi.
Ji Yi continued to take two steps towards He Jichen’s side then she realized that aside from He Jichen and Chen Bai, there was also someone else present.
She instinctively turned her head and happened to meet Qian Ge’s gaze by chance.
Stunned, Ji Yi’s footsteps came to a stop.
After ten seconds, Ji Yi’s gaze jumped from Qian Ge to He Jichen and Chen Bai. “How… is she here?”
“Miss Ji…” Chen Bai didn’t hesitate to explain, but just as he said her name, He Jichen, standing beside him motionlessly, said with a flat tone of voice. “…Isn’t there just three of us here? Me, you, and Chen Bai?”
Chapter 589: Unexpectedly, Deeply in Love with Him (49)
“Poof!——” Chen Bai couldn’t help but burst into laughter at He Jichen’s interruption.
Mr. He, must your mouth be so harsh?! Aren’t you saying Qian Ge isn’t even a person?
Ji Yi was two steps behind Chen Bai in understanding what He Jichen meant. She initially felt annoyed at seeing Qian Ge, but she suddenly felt a lot better as she quickly arched her eyes.
He Jichen noticed Ji Yi’s smile and his eyes instantly became a lot softer. Little by little, his cold demeanor from talking to Qian Ge earlier receded.
He walked over to Ji Yi while maintaining his deep gaze. “Why did you run till you have a face full of sweat?”
“I was afraid of missing you,” replied Ji Yi honestly without much thought.
Does that mean she came to C city all the way from Beijing just to look for me?
He Jichen’s heart trembled slightly.
He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat off from Ji Yi’s face.
A gust of wind blew in, bringing in the cold chill of the evening.
He Jichen was afraid Ji Yi would catch a cold from the windy breeze, so he put his handkerchief back then cried, “Let’s go. Get in the car.”
“Mhm.” Ji Yi gave a gentle nod as her eyes irresistibly drifted over to Qian Ge.
Qian Ge stood on the spot staring at her and He Jichen with tears in her eyes.
The expression on her face was unusually pale as though she was holding her feelings back. Her fists were tightly balled up and trembling slightly.
Noticing Ji Yi staring at Qian Ge, He Jichen furrowed her brows. “It’s pitch-black over there. There’s nothing there. Is there anything worth seeing?”
While He Jichen said this, Ji Yi withdrew her gaze from Qian Ge. From the corners of Ji Yi’s eyes, she managed to catch a single line of tears running down Qian Ge’s face.
Another gust of wind blew in and He Jichen spoke again. “Don’t just stand there. You’ll catch a cold.”
This time, Ji Yi didn’t say a thing but replied to He Jichen with a sweet smile. Then she walked over to the door Chen Bai opened and got in.
But she only managed to take two steps before He Jichen grabbed her wrist.
Ji Yi turned her head and looked over at He Jichen in confusion.
When He Jichen bent down and touched Ji Yi’s shoes, she realized she ran so fast that her laces came loose.
Her foot instinctively took a step back as she was about to crouch down and tie them.
However, He Jichen’s reflexes were faster than hers. He beat her to it by holding onto her ankle then he quietly said: “don’t move.” With one swift move, he tied her laces into a beautiful butterfly knot.
After He Jichen got up, he didn’t say anything but shot Ji Yi a look to go ahead.
He Jichen waited for Ji Yi to take a step before he got up.
One after the other, the two of them walked over to the car door. Just as Ji Yi was going to get into the car, Qian Ge unexpectedly cried, “He Jichen, I spoke to Ji Yi the day I bumped into her at TF beauty salon. Did you know that?”
“I told her you had a hand in blowing up her scandal!”
He Jichen always assumed Ji Yi didn’t know a thing about it, but Qian Ge was now suddenly bringing it up again. His feet came to a complete stop.
Chapter 590: Unexpectedly, Deeply in Love with Him (50)
“I told her that you only care about the ratings for ‘The Tempestuous Grand Tang’ and increasing YC’s shares. I told her she’s just a money-making tool to you!”
“You know what her reaction was at the time?”
She actually never imagined He Jichen would go overboard like he did. He first said some horrible things, then he even told her he only chose to expose her today because it was Ji Yi’s birthday.
He used my demise as a birthday present for Ji Yi?
Her heart had suffered enough, but the heavens didn’t let her go as if she hadn’t been tortured enough tonight.
After Ji Yi appeared, she made his whole stern demeanor soft and gentle. From the moment he asked why Ji Yi was there, he insulted me by implying I wasn’t a person.
He clearly knew Qian Ge liked him. Since they were young, she was infatuated with him like crazy, but he was so affectionate towards Ji Yi right in front of her. He even crouched down to tie her shoelaces.
I’m clearly a person. How could he be so cold and merciless to me but turn around and be so tender with Ji Yi?
Tonight, my whole reputation was swept away and I was called a million different names. The image I worked hard to mold for so many years was completely ruined and my career entered its lowest point, but Ji Yi’s experiencing the exact opposite. After four years of silence, Ji Yi is starting to make it to the top with the help of the man I like… How can I accept that?
Since I’m having a hard time, they can forget about having an easy time!
With that thought, Qian Ge didn’t hesitate in the slightest and said, “She asked if it was true or false.”
“When I told her you knew a week before the whole scandal broke out but didn’t do anything, she got angry right there! Her face changed like she’d been lied to!”
“He Jichen, you schemed so carefully to set up such big game, but did you know that the person you’re helping doesn’t actually trust you in the slightest?”
When Ji Yi heard this, her eyes abruptly widened in disbelief and she stopped midway in getting into the car.
What kind of nonsense is Qian Ge spewing? That clearly wasn’t the reaction I had when I heard what she said that day!
I was mad but I was mad at Qian Ge, not because I didn’t believe He Jichen!
“He Jichen, if it wasn’t for tonight, did you think she would come running to you because of all the things you did for her? If it wasn’t for what happened tonight, her heart would definitely be filled with hatred because you hyped up the scandal and got her mum injured in the process…”
Ji Yi had to admit she hated He Jichen then, but she didn’t misunderstand him because of what Qian Ge said. She was only hurt because she overheard his conversation with Chen Bai at his office.
Qian Ge really tried to set a new bottom line by actually flipping the story! She was now trying to challenge her and He Jichen’s relationship!
Deep down, a sense of disgust started to brew. Suddenly, her glare on Qian Ge became intense. She took a step towards Qian Ge and was about to speak when He JIchen reached out to stop her.
Ji Yi instinctively turned her head to look at He Jichen who had a neutral gaze on Qian Ge. For some reason, a sense of anxiety crept into Ji Yi’s heart and her fingers clutched onto his sleeve for a moment. Then she heard He Jichen say, “Are you sick in the head?! I don’t even know you! Why should I believe what you’re saying?!”
Chapter 591: Unexpectedly, Deeply in Love with Him (51)
Why do I have to believe what you say…
Sometime after He Jichen’s voice fell, the words still seemed to ring in Ji Yi’s ears.
She felt a slight chill as the evening wind brushed across her sweaty body.
But when He Jichen’s words echoed for a third time in her mind, Ji Yi suddenly felt a ball of fire ignite and insulate her body from inside.
Qian Ge never imagined He Jichen would answer with such conviction in Ji Yi. A wall of confusion crossed her troubled eyes as an indescribable sense of uncertainty filled her chest.
That day at the beauty salon, Ji Yi responded to her in the same resolute way when she tried to drive a wedge between them. Ji Yi trusted He Jichen then and now that Qian Ge tried the same trick on He Jichen, he also chose to trust Ji Yi.
At that moment, Qian Ge felt like a clown. She used all her willpower, yet she still couldn’t achieve her goals. She wasn’t sure if she was angry with herself or if she was jealous of Ji Yi, but a sudden menacing ray of light shot from her eyes as she stared at the two people standing together in front of her. “Yes, you don’t have to believe what I say, He Jichen, but facts are facts. Between the two of you, you have always been the one who trusts the other…”
He Jichen’s already stated his position. How has Qian Ge still not given up?
If Ji Yi was just a little unhappy before, she was definitely real mad now.
Just as she was about to retaliate, He Jichen spoke first with a flat voice, “I believe her and that’s my business. I never asked her to believe me.”
Ji Yi’s thoughts instantly froze.
She hadn’t recovered from what He Jichen said when he pushed her into the car and got in himself.
Chen Bai shut the car door, quickly got in, and started the car.
As the car drove past Qian Ge, Ji Yi instinctively turned her head and looked through the back window.
Qian Ge gritted her teeth as she stared at the car. Flustered and exasperated, she made a few stumbling steps with tears still flowing from her eyes. She looked really sullen and impatient. After the car drove some distance away, she suddenly dropped to the ground. Her shoulders trembled and she started to sob.
The car gradually sped up. Ji Yi sat in the car, thinking about that last image of Qian Ge crying on the ground and her lips couldn’t help but curve up slightly.
Qian Ge intended to strike He Jichen’s heart with a thunderbolt and scar his relationship with Ji Yi. However, she never imagined He Jichen would reply the way he did.
Not only did Qian Ge not achieve her goal, but her own heart was struck and she was afraid it would take a very long time before she could release the pent-up feelings she had tonight.
The more Ji Yi thought about it, the happier she felt. Eventually, she even put on a toothy grin.
“What are you laughing at?” He Jichen couldn’t help but ask as he sat next to her. Since he got into the car, he’d been staring at her through the rearview mirror and noticed she had the same satisfied look for quite some time; she was so happy.
“Laughing at Qian Ge…” blurted out Ji Yi.
He Jichen shot a glance at Ji Yi and said coldly, “You must have so much free time to think about that piece of garbage!